If you find yourself constantly staring at the fridge this lockdown, try these healthy hacks for ideal time-saver snack recipes.

Let’s not beat around the bush here. I’m sure I’m not alone in getting a tan from my fridge light these days as lockdown life poses all kinds of temptations to snack a whole lot more than usual.

We’re here to help with some healthy hacks for how to keep your snack game strong during isolation without entirely disregarding the waistline.

Spend less time at the stove (and more time thinking about other ways to keep yourself busy) with these recipe ideas to make sure you’re stocked up on the good stuff, feeding both your soul and stomach.

Baba Ganoush

You can’t beat a good Baba Ganoush. Perfect for lazy lunches and mid-afternoon snacking, roasted aubergines pack in the goodness and flavour. Spreadable on pretty-much anything, having healthy helpings of this on-hand means your snacking over lockdown need not be all bad.

Halve the eggplants lengthwise and brush the cut sides lightly with olive oil to roast eggplant until very soft and you can scoop out the insides. Place the flesh in a strainer and discard as much moisture as possible. Add garlic and lemon and stir with a fork vigorously. Then add in the tahini and slowly drizzle in all the olive oil. The mixture should become pale and creamy. Season to taste and stir in parsley and a final sprinkle of paprika, before serving.

Photo: Amy Lyn Eveleigh Photography

Roasted Chickpeas

Some sad-looking cans of chickpeas hiding away in your cupboard? Give them a new lease of life as some delicious and healthy TV snacks. Roasted in the oven, they’re instantly transformed into a crispy, salty golden deliciousness.

The steps are easy-peasy and involve drying out the chickpeas as much as possible, lathering them with a healthy hit of olive oil and roasting until crispy. Eat them hot and leave the spicing until they’re out the oven.

Try using chilli flakes or curry powder or toss them with fresh herbs, like lemon zest and coriander (or rosemary and coriander) Mmmmmm.

Photo: Amy Lyn Eveleigh Photography

Coconut Clusters

Coconut, egg whites and a teeny weeny bit of sugar. We’re obsessed with these sweet treats for when that craving hits. Combine 4 egg whites, a tablespoon of sugar and whisk until stiff peak stage. Then add in one and a half cups of desiccated coconut and softly fold in. Set dollops of the mixture on top of lined baking paper and cook at 180 degrees for 20-30 minutes. When golden on the outside and still soft in the middle, take them out and refrigerate. Melt dark chocolate and drizzle over for extra decadence.

Add in a teaspoon of vanilla essence and a pinch of salt and then freeze until set. Recipe courtesy of Cocobean Cooks.

Photo: Adobe Stock

Healthy Seed Crackers

Healthy and moreish, these seed crackers make at home snacking pure joy. Guilt-free and packed with goodness, try your hand at making this five-minute seed cracker recipe. You can thank us later.

Preheat oven to 170C fanbase. Mix all the below ingredients together and leave for 10 -15 minutes for the seeds to soak up the water. After a good stir, spread the mixture thinly over two greased baking trays, not too thin as the crackers will snap. Bake for one hour until golden and crispy. Snap up into your ideal cracker size and tuck in!

1 cup sunflower seeds

3/4 cup pumpkin seeds

1/2 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/4 cup flaxseed, (linseed)

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups water

1 tsp chilli flakes, (optional)

Photo: Adobe Stock

Homemade Dukkah

In my mind, this belongs on pretty much anything and everything. Forget store-bought and make your own this lockdown. Great for salads, with olive oil to help take roasted vegetables to a whole new level or even with fresh bread, olive oil and balsamic, a classic drool-worthy dipping combo.

Roast the nuts and spices in an oven at 160 degrees Celsius for 5 minutes and then blend until roughly chopped (but not too fine) Store in an air-tight container.

50g blanched hazelnuts

1 tbsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp fennel seeds

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 tbsp sesame seeds

Photo: Adobe Stock

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